7 reasons for serial number fulfillment

Serial numbers in fulfillment

The management of serial numbers is a central component of the fulfillment process for manufacturers.

Prior to sale, products are assigned individual serial numbers, which must be recorded and documented. This enables efficient tracking and identification of products.

The serial numbers contain important information such as model number, product name and device number, which is helpful for support or when procuring spare parts.

Systematic recording and management of serial numbers helps to ensure that the correct components are assigned to the corresponding products.

Serial numbers in the online store

As an online retailer, perhaps you sell products that have a serial number?

These include, for example:

1. Luxury goods: Designer handbags, jewelry, watches and shoes from brands such as Chanel,
   Louis Vuitton, Rolex and Gucci.
2. Electronics: PCs, printers, smartphones and other devices
   from manufacturers such as HP, Apple, Samsung and Asus.
3. Vehicles: cars, motorcycles and boats.
4. Technical equipment: machines, tools and household appliances.
5. Software: Licenses for operating systems and applications.
6. Banknotes and gold bars: to prevent counterfeiting.
7. Weapons: To trace the origin and owner.

You have probably already assigned the serial numbers to the items in your online store.

However, it is also possible for us to assign a serial number to the product in fulfillment only after the order has been received and send it to you as a .csv file.

For each order, the item with the serial number must be clearly assigned to the customer. In the event of support queries or warranty claims, the serial number enables the product and relevant information to be assigned quickly.

This allows you to ensure that you are returning the correct item with the corresponding serial number.

What is a serial number?

The serial number is a unique alphanumeric identification of the product by the manufacturer. It can therefore consist of letters and numbers. This allows each product to be clearly identified. In English, the serial number is called “Serial Number” with the abbreviation (ISSN, SN or S/N).

It is attached directly to the device. Often also found on the nameplate and starts with S/N: followed by a number.

In the laptop or PC, you can enter the command “cmd” in the search box, then “wmic bios get serialnumber” in the console. Then you will see the serial number of the device.

For example, the serial number of the laptop may be S/N 1234567890.

The serial number ➚ is not the same as the article number (GTIN, EAN, UPC or SKU) of a product.

Serial numbers for SIM cards

SIM cards also have a unique serial number. This allows the SIM card to be uniquely assigned to the buyer and user.

The SIM serial number is written on the letter you received or on a separate card together with the phone number, PIN and PUK number.

The mobile carrier sometimes asks for the SIM serial number from support.

Advantages for owners with serial numbers

The owner can search for his device with the serial number at the manufacturer. This is often useful when a suitable software update or spare part is needed. But also for traceability in the event of a recall or to identify the product in the event of theft.

Other products with serial numbers

Products such as a router, vehicles, machines, art objects, ID cards and jewelry also have a serial number. But most often they are used in technical products.

Why is it helpful to manage serial numbers in fulfillment?

If the order quantity becomes too large, you may reach your limits as an online retailer.

A fulfillment service provider, such as Subke GmbH, can take care of tasks such as packaging, shipping and returns management and the administration of serial numbers.

With several employees and optimized logistics processes, large quantities of orders can be processed by us on a daily basis.

In our JTL dashboard you can enter EAN, batch numbers and the serial number of the product.

1) Track the supply chain of products with serial numbers

You get the ability to track orders from start to finish.

If you sell technical items online, you need to make sure you have a reliable method of tracking your orders. This means that you must be able to trace each product back to its original source.

2) The ability to manage multiple warehouses

One of the biggest advantages of the serial number fulfillment system is that you can track each order as it moves through the warehouse.

This is a particular advantage if you use several fulfillment warehouses or the cross-docking process. This allows you to identify where problems occur along the entire supply chain to the end customer, e.g. if an item is lost or arrives damaged.

3) Better batch management

With the serial numbers you can better assign the products to a product batch. If problems occur, you as a retailer can use a serial number to assign the shipped products to a batch and contact the affected customers directly.

4) Manage warranty claims accurately

Electronic devices, such as computers that you have sold with warranty claims, can be precisely assigned to the customer via a serial number. You can see which device it is and whether the device or component still has a warranty claim.

5) Assign spare parts more easily

In order to supply the right spare part for the device, it helps to find the device number or model number via the serial number in addition to the product name.

6) Ability to provide better customer service

One of the biggest benefits of a serial number system is the ability to provide better customer service to your customers. This means you can more accurately and quickly answer questions your customers have about your products. You can also manage your stock levels more efficiently and reorder individual products in good time if necessary.

7) Offer your customers customized labels

Create individual labels for each product. This makes it easier for your customers to identify which device it is. If you sell multiple items, it’s easier for your customers to recognize the device.